Friday, December 15, 2017

Julienne Soup

Julienne Soup

There are dishes that because they are so simple we kind of forget that there is always some little secret that transforms it from good to great. In the Julienne Soup is the ORDER on how we put the vegetables to cook. Ass the density of each item is different and we don't want to have a mushy soup...the key is the lineup.

The potatoes go first and they will remain in the bottom of the pot, then the semi-hard and finally the soft. Sounds silly but it does make a difference.

Many people will say...I don't need a recipe for this and more power to them. I do and the end result is great. The current wife loves soup and honestly I don't cook it as much as she would like me to..but when I do..she enjoys it so much. I was in the right mood yesterday and did it. She was happy and, well...the rest is history.

Julienne Soup

Cooking Time: 35 Minutes   Makes 6 servings


2 Lt Vegetable Broth

2 Medium Sized Yellow Potatoes

1 Medium to large Leek

2 Pieces of Celery

4 Medium size Carrots

2 Large Chard leaves

1 Large Zucchini 

1/2 Cup of Chopped Cilantro

- Salt to taste

Cooking Instructions

1. In a medium size pan put the vegetable broth to warm up at medium high heat. While this is happening we are going to either julienne or cube all our vegetables and put them aside.

2. Once the broth is warm, FIRST put the potatoes to cook for 10 minutes with the heat to medium. Do not use the lid though.

3. Then put the Leek, celery and carrots and allow them to cook for another 10 minutes.

4. After that put the Chard, the zucchini and the cilantro and let it simmer for the last 10 minutes or so. Then adjust the flavor (I use a chicken broth cube).

5. Enjoy!


Some people like to add parmesan cheese when serving, other people like to squeeze half a lime and some even put 1/4 cup of Brandy. You choose.

Friday, October 13, 2017

Spiced Hibiscus Infused Tequila Cranberry Sauce

Spiced Hibiscus Infused Tequila Cranberry Sauce

Yes, this is completely mine. Yo solito as my muy mexicano friends would say. This recipe I made 3 years ago and I have been doing it since. It comes to shine in Thanksgiving and in Christmas. It is a favorite of the one who looks like an alien, smells like an alien but claims not to be an alien (who by the way lives with the one who claims to be my son).

The "not an alien" just eats it like crazy. She even hides some in her pockets -I have seen it!- but I just don't say anything because I am so prudent. 

The recipe is honestly quite easy to prepare. The story behind the recipe is that 3 years ago I bought a bottle of this Rosangel Tequila in Mexico as I though it would be just incredible. Well..far from that. The tequila honestly is horrible but i can just throw things away so I decided to cook with it and use the tequila flavor that I like so much. The result was fantastic and the cranberry sauce is just something else. The distinctive tequila flavor is there, no doubt and the mix with cranberries and orange just did it.

When I mentioned that you can make your own is true though..I have done it before with Quince and with easy but require LOTS of patience. You choose...

Spiced Hibiscus Infused Tequila Cranberry Sauce

Cooking Time: 30 Minutes   Makes 12 servings

12 oz Bag of fresh Cranberries
1 Cup of Sugar

1 Cup of Tequila Reposado already infused with tequila (*) OR 1 Cup of Centenario Rosangel Tequila.

1/2 Cup of Water

1 Tsp Tajin Chile Mix

- Grated zest from an Orange

Cooking Instructions
1. (*) O.K. the “infused tequila” thing. It is not that hard but requires at least 1 year patience. If you know the Hibiscus plant (Flor de Jamaica) you know that people drink it as a tea or as a cold tea (agua de jamaica). To infuse the tequila all you need is one bottle of reposado tequila, a cup of caster sugar and a cup of dried hibiscus flower. Mix the sugar with the tequila until blended and then add the hibiscus flower. Put it back in its bottle and place it in a dark place…for a year or so. every mont you turn the bottle upsidedown to mix and put it back. At the end of the year you remove the flowers and you have an infused tequila.. OR  buy a bottle of Hibiscus Tequla from Centenario (called Rosangel) which is not a good tequila watsoever but is great for the recipe. Your choice.
2. I did the later so I used the Centenario Rosangel Tequila. 

3. Combine the cranberries with 1/2 Cup of tequila, the water and the Tajin mix (you can buy it at any Mexican grocery store) in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the berries pop, the add the other 1/2 Cup of tequila, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes.

4. Turn off the heat and stir the orange zest. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate. Can be made several days ahead.

5. Enjoy !

Saturday, September 30, 2017

Cheese Cake Filled Cake with Blueberry Sauce

Cheese Cake Filled Cake with Blueberry Sauce

Nora Carey's Perfect Preserves book has some amazing recipes but when I got the book I couldn't wait to try this cake. I can't imagine someone who doesn't like cheese cake and I know how to prepare some using super different recipes. What I liked about this one in particular was that is actually a cake with cheesecake filling...most likely closer to the original cheese cake than the one prepared with crackers.

This is a great variation to the regular recipe and the end result is quite amazing. It doesn't need to be refrigerated and it doesn't strike you as a cheesecake when eating it. I used my own blueberry sauce -we just finished blueberry season- but you can use store bought (or cherry?). The current wife loved it but this time she was good: she allowed me to have a slice. Oh love...

Cheese Cake Filled Cake with Blueberry Sauce

Cooking Time: 60 Minutes   Makes 18 servings
1 Stick (1/2 Cup) Unsalted Butter, softened

1 Cup Sugar

4 Large Eggs, room temperature
1 Tbsp Milk

1 Tbsp Vanilla

1 Cup Flour

1 Tsp Baking Powder

1/2 Tsp Salt

1/2 Lb Cream Cheese

1/2 Cup Sour Cream

2 Cups of Blueberry Sauce

Cooking Instructions
1. Using your mixer, cream the butter and 1/2 Cup of the sugar until the mix is light color and fluffy.

2. Beat in the 2 eggs, one at the time, making sure that the first one has incorporated perfectly.

3. Beat in the milk and the Vanilla and mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.

4. Fold the dry ingredients into the butter mix until incorporated. Reserve.

5. Let’s prepare the cheese filling: In a small bowl whisk the cream cheese and the sour cream until smooth. Beat in the remaining 1/2 Cup of sugar and the remaining 2 eggs, one at the time.

6. Pour the cake batter into a buttered and floured  10 inch. spring pan (removable bottom) and using a spatula spread it so it is even. Now pour the cream cheese mix into the center and bake for 60 minutes or so, until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

7. Allow it to cool and carefully remove the spring mold. 

8. Serve with blueberry sauce and enjoy! 

Monday, September 18, 2017

Jell-O Cookies

Jell-O Cookies

In search for recipes that come from way back then and trying to add to my recipe collection dishes and treats that are still around, I found this Jell-O Cookie recipe that I though could be fun to bake. It is a mega easy recipe and honest it takes 20 minutes from the beginning to the end. Can't get better than that.

I know that many people would snob this kind of recipe and I gave it a lot of thought before posting but, after days of considerations I decided that I couldn't care less if other people looks down this kind of every day cookies. Many times easy is the way to go and the cookies are actually quite nice. If you want more elaborate recipes just look in other recipes in the blog...they are there.

So while it hails outside I eat cookies and blog. This is the life...

Jell-O Cookies

Cooking Time: 20 Minutes   Makes 30 servings
1 1/2 Cup Flour

1/2 Tsp Baking Powder

1 1/4 Cups Butter, softened

1/2 Cup Sugar

1/8 Tsp Salt

1 3 oz Jell-O (any flavor), divided

1/2 Egg

1/2 Tsp Vanilla

Cooking Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. In a mixer combine the butter with the sugar until light colored and fluffy.

2.While the butter is getting mixed, combine the dry ingredients, except for the Jell-O

3. Add the egg to the butter mix and once incorporated add the vanilla and the first part (3/4 of the box) of the Jell-O

4. Add the dry ingredients and mix until you get a Play dough consistency.

5. Shape into one inch balls and place them 2 inches apart on baking sheets (use parchment paper if necessary). Flatten with the bottom of a glass and sprinkle with the remaining Jell-O

6. Bake for 10 minutes or until light brown color shows. Remove and place to cool in a cookie rack.

7. Enjoy !

Friday, August 11, 2017

Cherry Garcia Brownies

There is nothing that compares to Brownies. Somehow people just love them and...they are not that difficult to make. I bake brownies more than other cakes as the current wife absolutely loves them. Usually I don't even take them out of the oven when she already started eating them !!

Also..when talking about ice cream, who doesn't love Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia? I could just buy the ice cream and put it next to a piece of brownie will be a success, no doubt. Instead I decided to try something I saw (sorry I don't remember where) and I tried to do it: Cherry Garcia Brownies!!!

The Brownie recipe is from Tom Douglas book and I think is one of the best brownies recipe I to Gu's and Bea's.

So..the experiment worked out. The top was not as I wanted as in my head I thought it would end being white with the red cherry accent..instead I got this brownish top which doesn't look as great flavor is incredible. Try it !!!

Cherry Garcia Brownies

Cooking Time: 90 Minutes   Makes 12 servings


9-inch square baking pan

3/4 Cup unsalted butter, cut into chunks, plus more for the pan

4 oz Unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 oz Bittersweet chocolate, chopped 

1 1/4 Cups all-purpose flour

1/2 Tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 Tsp. kosher salt

2 Cups sugar

2 Large eggs

1 Tsp pure vanilla extract

1  Cup roughly chopped toasted pecans

Cherry Garcia Top

8 oz. Cream cheese, softened

1 tsp. Vanilla extract

1 Large egg

1/2 cup. Sugar

2/3 cup. Cherries, pitted and quartered

1/2 cup. Chocolate chips

Cooking Instructions
1 Preheat oven to 350F. 

2. Butter the pan, then line the pan with a 9-in-wide strip of parchment paper that fits the bottom of the pan and up 2 of the sides with a little overhang. Butter the paper

3. Melt butter and chocolate in a double broiler, (do not let the water boil!) and stir mixture to combine using a rubber or silicone spatula. Reserve

4. Put the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and use a whisk to combine. Reserve

5. In a large bowl (third bowl!!), whisk the sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract together until smooth and add the chocolate -butter mixture and whisk again until smooth. Add the dry ingredients to the chocolate-egg mixture, folding with a rubber spatula until well combined.Fold in the cup of the pecans

THE BROWNIE PART IS READY, now the Cherry Garcia Top…

7. In a medium size bowl, beat cream cheese, vanilla, egg, and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Stir in the cherries and chocolate chips.

8. Pour brownie batter into the prepared baking dish. Dollop the cream cheese-cherry mixture over the brownie layer, then run a knife through mixture and batter to create a swirled effect.

9. Bake until the top looks dry and a skewer inserted into the brownies comes out mostly clean with a few crumbs clinging and maybe just a small streak of batter, between 40 to 60 minutes rotating the pan halfway through the baking time

10. Remove the pan from the oven and cool on a wire rack for at least an hour (two or three is better)  before unfolding. (don’t panic! the brownies will be soft when they are warm but will set up as they cool.) 

11. To unfold the brownies, run a small knife along the 2 sides of the pan that are not lined with parchment paper, then unmold.

Thursday, August 3, 2017

Honey Soy Chicken Tights

Honey Soy Chicken Tights
Cooking Time: 60 Minutes   Makes 6 servings

So, I am trying to come back to my "regular life" which is not as easy as it sounds. We had a mega rainy Spring which gave us a Mega Clean up in the garden, plus some issues with my health, plus the current wife who is always a workload.

I don't think I can post as  regular as I did before (I know...) but at least I am back. Summer is great for me because I can cook with more time as the lucky one is the one that works (in the mines..) all day long.

This is a super easy recipe to cook with a 100% success rate. Somehow people nowadays just don't eat tons of great food that is available to us so the price is quite economic and the quality is great. That is the case for chicken tights...can not get another part of a chicken for that price...

You prepare in the morning...allow it to seat in the fridge until one hour prior to dinner time. Then just put it in the oven and 45 minutes later you have a great dinner. I did this batch this week and I cooked some parmesan potatoes to was fantastic!!!


2 1/2 Lb Organic skin & boneless chicken thighs 

3 Tbsp Olive oil

1/2 Tsp Chopped ginger

5 Tbsp raw honey

3 Tbsp Soy sauce

4 Cloves of garlic, minced

- salt to taste

- fresh parsley, chopped for garnish

Cooking Instructions
1 In a mixing bowl combine olive oil, ginger, honey, soy sauce, garlic, and salt

2 Rinse and trim off all of the fat from the chicken, then place it in the bowl with the marinade. Allow it to rest for 1 hour or so (the longer the better).

3 Preheat the oven to 425F when ready to start the final stage. 

4 Place chicken thighs and marinade on a cast iron or baking dish and bake for 45 minutes, make sure to flip the chicken on the other side few times, that way the chicken will be juicy & tender without dry top.

5 Garnish with chopped parsley, serve with rice or mashed potato, and make sure to pour the sauce over the chicken when serving.

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Italian Easter Bread

So, new way to do things, as change is good. I realize that trying to share my recipes with people like me that love to cook is, well.. overwhelming as I need to keep up with the blog almost daily or at least weekly, which I can't do. Too many things too little time. Regardless I want to share something even though the recipes are in my personal file. Starting today I will post just a picture of what I have cooked or baked and, if anybody wants the recipe they can email me to

 That way I can  continue kind-of-sharing but also I have time to do other things, like working for a living for example.

Italian Easter Bread

Friday, January 27, 2017

Cranberry Mors

Cranberry Mors

Emily Han's Wild Drinks and cocktails is a fantastic book. Just got it recently and I really think is a great acquisition.  Going through the pages, the lucky one who loves cranberries asked me if I could prepare this drink..and as we all know what she wants she gets. 

This is a drink with pedigree as it comes from the 16th Century's Russia. There are versions with other berries and I can imagine that it would work just as well (and I will try in Summer with Blackberries and with other berries). The drink's name means "honey drink" (not the same as honey you are drunk) and it has great body and texture.

The end result was fantastic. Te drink was really tasty cold...but to me when I warmed it up and added rum, well...just so you know the lucky one wanted to role play she being the tsarina. It was a something else...

Cranberry Mors

Cooking Time: 20 Minutes   Makes 6 servings

2 Cups of Fresh Cranberries
5 Cups Water

1/2 Cup of Honey

Juice of 1/2 Lime (approx. 15 ml)


1 Cinnamon stick

2 Cloves

Preparation Instructions
1. Rinse and pick the cranberries and discard stems or leaves. Combine the cranberries and water in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil and cook until cranberries burst, approx. 20 minutes.

2. Remove from the heat and mash the cranberries in the pot.  Return to the pot and boil for another 5 to 10 minutes, then remove from the heat.  

3. Stir in the honey and lime juice, cover and let it cool to room temperature.

4. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a container, discard the pulp (I used later on); cover and refrigerate.   

5. Now…you have to options:

1. Serve chilled, which is quite nice, has body and tons of flavor or
2. In a saucepan pour the amount you are about to drink, stir with a cinnamon stick and ad 2            clovers and some orange zest strips.  Serve immediately. This is Mulled Mors!
3. For grownups add some rum. It just can’t get better than that!


Friday, January 6, 2017

Buñuelos de Rodilla (Mexican Thin Fritters)

Buñuelos de Rodilla (Mexican Thin Fritters)

The buñuelos de rodilla are a Mexican tradition that is hard not to prepare, more so during Christmas time. They get their name because way back then they use to press the dough on the knees to get them paper thin. Nowadays people use pasta machines or a roller pin. I guess that is why all men used to gather in the kitchen to "observe and help" the women to prepare these...more so because it was a great opportunity to glance at the women's knees!

I didn't know about buñuelos de rodilla until I met the chosen one. Her mom claims she used to make them herself BUT I highly doubt it. All I know is that she used to ask some nuns to make them for her in huge quantities. I do get that the nuns were happy to make them for her and get some money for their nunnery. She still goes every year to get them...same mother in law same nuns...

As I don't have access to nuns, nor I want to, and I love Mexican cooking...I always do my own. They are far from perfect but they do the trick. Every year I try a different recipe until one day I will nail them to perfection, but the ones in this recipe are quite good. They are so good that they disappear in less than  a week. Healthy healthy they are not but, at the can die healthy or die happy. Your choice. And...we only make them once a year...the rest of the year we eat kale and quinoa and organic and fat free and sugar free...well...some people do...poor people....

Buñuelos de Rodilla (Mexican Thin Fritters)

Cooking Time: 60 Minutes   Makes 12 servings
1 Cup of flour

1 Egg, beaten, room temperature

1 Tbsp Butter, room temperature

1/2 Tsp Baking Powder

1/8 Tsp Salt

  • Water as needed, room temperature

- Canola Oil as needed

Cooking Instructions
  1. The most important thing for this recipe is that the fritters must be done by hand and not in a mixer.

2. In a small bowl mix all the dry ingredients.

3. In a flat clean surface, mix the dry ingredients with the butter. You should get a dry crumbly mix.

4. Add the  beaten egg and mix again, then little by little add the water  and keep kneading until you get a soft and elastic m dough. Cover in plastic and refrigerate for about two hours. 

5. Meanwhile in a large frying pan (as large as you can) bring to a medium heat enough (I used half a bottle) oil until you reach a temperature of 375˚F. Keep that temperature at all times.

5. Divide the dough in two and put back into the fridge one half. We will work with one half first and then with the other.  Separate a piece of dough and roll it to a golf ball size. Using a rolling pin (next time I’ll try my pasta roller to see if I can achieve a thinner dough) roll and roll until you get a tissue paper thin round. Thicker won’t work!!! have to be able to almost see through it, honest.

6. Very carefully take the thin round dough and place it into the warm oil. It will bubble like crazy…using two wooden spoons submerge the dough so it cooks evenly (the dough will try to float, that is why we use the spoons to submerge it).
Once is a bit brown under…turn it and fry the upper side.

7. Once is brown in the two sides, carefully remove, drain into the oil pan

and place the buñuelo on a paper towel to absorb the remaining oil. Repeat until you finish the batch and repeat with the remaining dough that you have left in the fridge.

8. By now they are quite brittle. Serve warm and sprinkle with a mix of sugar and cinnamon or pour some piloncillo (pana, raw sugar) syrup* and enjoy!

Piloncillo Syrup
  • The piloncillo syrup is quite easy to make:


2 Piloncillo o pana cones (buy at a latin shop)

2 Cups of water

2 Star anise pieces

1 Cinnamon stick


  1. At a latin shop buy pana or piloncillo which is a form of raw cane sugar…quite brown. Usually it comes as cones. You will need two or three cones to prepare the syrup.
  2. In a medium size pan put the piloncillo cones, two star anise pieces and a cinnamon sick and two cups of water.
  3. On a medium-low heat, dissolve the piloncillo and allow it to thicken a bit (remember that when it cools down it will thicken way more!). Let it rest for an hour and remove the star anise and the cinnamon.  Then is ready to use.